Zeke's POV

As I descended the stairs, my eyes fell on a venomous snake—Ellen—sitting in my living room, eating snacks from my pantry.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked coldly. I hated disrespect and lies. This woman had done far worse.

"Oh, Zeke, I was hungry," Ellen replied. Staring at her, I envisioned a thousand ways to make her life miserable.

"You know how it works, right? Mother and…"

"Shut the fuck up and take your crappy story elsewhere," I interrupted.

She laughed. "You don't believe me, do you?"

I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration. Why was this woman pushing her luck?

"Ellen, I have a lot on my mind and would appreciate it if you'd leave," I said. Her presence was disturbing. I couldn't think about Kamille the way I wanted to. Ellen constantly reminded me of why I might never get Kamille's forgiveness, and now she's here with pregnancy tales. Anger surged through me.

"Now I believe you wouldn't like to be reminded of what I'm capable of if you think you can fucking lie to me AGAIN!" I barked.

Did she lie? Or was she telling the truth?

"Here are the pregnancy test results," Ellen said, extending the papers. "If you want more proof, we can do a paternity test after the baby's born."

I stood motionless for a moment, then took the papers. My eyes skimmed the results. How could this be? I only slept with her once! Agitation and frustration bubbled up.

What about Kamille? If I'm the father of Ellen's child, I might as well be the father of everyone else's. My thoughts spiraled.

Seeing my distraction, Ellen left the sofa and approached me. She leaned into my chest, stroking my neck. "You know how much I've always loved you, right? This baby is proof of our love, Zeke. We're divorced, but I believe we can work things out. It'll be hard, but we need to do this for our child," she said calmly, her eyes pleading.

Scoffs. Same old sly, cunning bitch.

I threw the papers to the floor and pushed her hands away. "Do you think you can use this child to weasel your way back into my life?" I asked angrily.

"I'll take responsibility—money, child support, my last name, anything the child needs. But our marriage ended long ago, and nothing will change that. Not even this child," I added, without waiting for a response.

Shock registered on Ellen's face; her gray eyes seemed darker. Terror contorted her features. "What have I done to deserve this hate, Zeke?" she cried.

"Those tears don't suit you. They're boring," I said with disgust.

"I should have known," she laughed. "You're willing to hurt this innocent baby because of that barren, dead woman!"

Tsk. She was getting too loud.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, moving toward the door. I leaned against the wall.

"Zeke, do you know how our child will be judged by society? The emotional trauma this child will face? I can handle you loving someone else after our divorce, but I never thought you'd leave your heart at hell's gates for a dead woman!" she screamed, her eyes swollen from crying.

Great performance.

She continued, "Now I wonder if you ever loved me. Did you just use me to compensate for Kamille's barrenness?" She laughed maliciously. "Did that hit a nerve?"

What did I ever see in this crazy woman?

"Why do you hate me so much because of a dead woman?" she asked more soberly.

I was about to say Kamille was alive, but I remembered my promise.

I gritted my teeth.

"Do you know how much pain and shame you've caused me?" I asked when her sobbing became unbearable. She looked up.

"You deceived me into thinking Kamille was the problem when all she ever did was love me unconditionally. You poisoned my mind against her and lured me into marrying you—the worst decision of my life! If I hadn't been so foolish, I'd still be married to her!" I barked, venting some frustration.

She'd be dead if I vented all my anger.

Ignoring her tears, I did the only thing that stopped me from strangling her: I walked to the door and buzzed for Andrew. He arrived within seconds.

"Escort Miss Manor out," I ordered, throwing her wedding ring at her feet. "Leave and never return."

Ellen stared at the ring, transfixed. As I turned to leave, she attacked me. "You can't do this to me! What about the baby? You can't do this to us!" she screamed. I signaled to Andrew, who arrived with a guard.

"Ma'am, you need to leave," Andrew said. They pulled her away.

"Let me go! Get your hands off me!" she yelled, until finally, "I know my way out!" They released their grip.

After composing herself, she said, "I hope you won't regret this." I didn't bother responding.

Like I cared.

Disappointed and hurt, she left. I sighed, went to my study, and slumped into a chair, feeling exhausted.

How on earth did Ellen get pregnant? The last thing I needed was Ellen causing trouble while I tried to earn Kamille's forgiveness. But Kamille already had children with another man. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Damn!

My mood was terrible. I needed a lift. I grabbed my keys and left.

I arrived at the club quickly, entering through the VIP entrance. I hated the cramped, smelly main floor and the crowds. I went to the bar.

Near my usual table, I saw a woman sitting alone, her chestnut brown hair falling over her face. A familiar feeling gripped my heart. My heart raced. She raised her head and took a drink. Sadness filled her eyes.

I froze. What kind of game was the universe playing?